Astronauts begin urgent space repairs

ASTRONAUTS have stepped out on the first of a series of urgent repair spacewalks at the International Space Station.

The two Americans on the crew floated outside on Saturday morning.

They will disconnect an ammonia pump that contains a bad valve.

The breakdown has crippled the space station's critical cooling system.

The pump replacement is a huge undertaking, attempted only once before, in 2010.

NASA has ordered up three spacewalks to complete the job, with the next to begin on Monday.

Astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins will go back out again Christmas Day, if any work remains.

The six-man crew had to turn off all non-essential equipment inside the orbiting lab following the malfunction on December 11, when scientific research came to a near-halt.

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Sisters cleared of fraud in UK Lawson case

TWO former personal assistants to Charles Saatchi and his ex-wife Nigella Lawson have been cleared of fraud.

The jury at Isleworth Crown Court, west London, found Italian sisters Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo not guilty of a single count of fraud each.

It was alleged that between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2012, the women committed fraud by abusing their positions as PAs, using a company credit card for personal gain - and were accused of spending more than STG685,000 ($A1.27 million) on themselves.

Elisabetta, 41, sometimes referred to in court as Lisa, and Francesca, 35, both of Kensington Gardens Square, Bayswater, west London, had been accused of living the "high life".

The court heard they used credit cards loaned to them by the TV cook and her ex-husband Saatchi to buy designer goods from Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Vivienne Westwood.

Francesca was accused of spending the largest amount on herself - a sum of STG580,000.

But the sisters insisted all of their purchases had been authorised.

And in a sensational twist their defence lawyers introduced allegations of drug-taking by Lawson and marital strife involving the celebrity couple.

It was claimed by the defence that there was a culture of secrecy within the high-profile couple's marriage and that the Grillo sisters were aware of Lawson's alleged drug use, while Saatchi was not.

The defence claimed that Elisabetta's knowledge of Lawson's supposed drug use materially affected the TV cook's attitude towards her spending.

After the three-week trial, the jury of seven men and five women rejected the prosecution's claims that the purchases on the cards had been unauthorised.

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Nigerian church bomber gets life in jail

A NIGERIAN court has sentenced the convicted participant of a 2011 Christmas Day bombing of a Catholic church to life in prison.

At least 44 people died in the explosion.

The Federal High Court found Kabiru Sokoto guilty of terrorism and murder.

The state argued he had prior knowledge that the Boko Haram network planned to bomb St Theresa's church, just outside Abuja, Nigeria's capital, but failed to notify law enforcement officers.

Sokoto, who is also known as Kabiru Umar, pleaded not guilty and argued that the state did not provide evidence linking him to the bombing.

A car bomb exploded outside the church as worshippers came out of an early-morning service on Christmas Day in the first attacks targeting Christians by extremists staging an uprising in the northeast.

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Two men found guilty of UK soldier murder

TWO British Muslim fanatics have been found guilty of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby.

Converts Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, were convicted at the Old Bailey after running Fusilier Rigby down in a car and then hacking him to death with a meat cleaver and knives in front of horrified onlookers.

The pair lay in wait near Woolwich Barracks in south east London on May 22 and picked the 25-year-old to kill, after assuming he was a soldier because he was wearing a Help for Heroes hooded top and carrying a camouflage rucksack.

Within three minutes of hitting him at 50-60km/h in their car, they had butchered the young father and were dragging his body into the middle of the road.

Neither Adebolajo nor Adebowale had been able to offer any real defence for the barbaric attack during their trial, which was beset by legal delays.

The jury took little more than an hour to convict them of murder, but cleared them of the attempted murder of a police officer.

After the murder, Adebolajo had charged at a marksman wielding the cleaver while Adebowale brandished a gun.

Justice Sweeney ordered that the decisions be heard in silence, but relatives of Fusilier Rigby broke down in tears as the verdicts were given.

Justice Sweeney said he will pass sentence after a key appeal court ruling on the use of whole life terms in January.

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Hockey announces financial inquiry panel

THE outgoing chief of AMP and former boss of CSL have been appointed by the federal government to a panel inquiring into Australia's financial system.

Treasurer Joe Hockey announced on Friday the four-member panel to assist inquiry chair David Murray, who are charged with reporting back to government on how to make the country's financial system more competitive and flexible.

AMP chief executive and managing director Craig Dunn and former CSL chief Brian McNamee head the list of appointees, which also include Melbourne University Professor of Finance Kevin Davis, and Carolyn Hewson, who sits on the board of BHP Billiton, Stockland and BT Investment Management.

The promised international advisory panel would be announced "early in the new year", Mr Hockey said.

The treasurer also released the final terms of reference for the inquiry, saying there were only minor changes to the draft terms published in November.

"The next step for the inquiry will be to receive submissions in line with the terms of reference," Mr Hockey said.

Submissions will open in early January and close at the end of March.

The Financial System Inquiry will provide an interim report by mid-2014, and a final report in November.

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Xenophon wants new data-interception laws

FEDERAL independent Nick Xenophon wants changes to Australian telecommunications interception laws following calls for a narrowing of National Security Agency (NSA) powers.

A review board, set up by President Barack Obama in the wake of Edward Snowden's leaking of NSA secrets, has recommended a wide-ranging overhaul of its practices while preserving "robust" intelligence capabilities.

The panel issued 46 recommendations, including an end to retention of telephone "metadata" by the spy agency.

Senator Xenophon said the report was a "wake up call" and he would introduce legislation to curtail telecommunications interception powers in Australia.

The South Australian, who has previously called for a review of Australia's data surveillance practices, said if it was good enough for the US "then it's time we did the same thing".

"In the US legislation, there are safeguards for non-US citizens to avail themselves of the same procedures and judicial review as US citizens," he told AAP on Thursday.

"If the legislation doesn't pass it will be indeed ironic that Australian citizens will have more protection under US law than under their own laws."

Australia's domestic spy agencies have been under scrutiny after Snowdon leaks revealed the Defence Signals Directorate had tapped the phones of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife.

"All I'm asking for the prime minister and opposition to do is to support what our closest ally is doing," Senator Xenophon said.

Attorney-General George Brandis said he would not comment on the recommendations on the NSA's powers.

"We work with the intelligence agencies of our closest partners given the common threats we face, including terrorism," Senator Brandis said in a statement.

"We are committed to maintaining these relationships and protecting Australia's security interests and the safety of Australians at home and abroad.

"The Australian Government is committed to maintaining an appropriate balance between national security and privacy considerations."

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Spending rises for 15th consecutive month

SPENDING by consumers, businesses and government rose 0.5 per cent in trend terms in November, the 15th consecutive month of growth.

The latest Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Indicator showed annual spending growth was returning to pre-global financial crisis levels.

In seasonally adjusted terms, described by CBA as being more volatile, spending increased by 0.2 per cent in November, following a 4.1 per cent rise in October.

The report's author, CommSec chief economist Craig James, said consumers had become more cautious in November, but the outlook remained positive.

"November's slightly more modest spending growth preceded a dip in consumer confidence in December, with confidence levels easing from a multi-year high," Mr James said.

"Consumers have been worried by job losses across various industries, higher petrol prices, a weaker Aussie dollar and a more subdued share market.

"Nevertheless, the signs are generally positive."

Interest rates remain low, lending has increased and a lower Australian dollar was good news for the economy overall, Mr James said.

The BSI tracks debit and credit card transactions at CBA's point of sales terminals.

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Russia passes bill to drop crew's charges

RUSSIAN lawmakers have unanimously approved a Kremlin-backed amnesty bill that will lead to charges being dropped against 30 Greenpeace crew members, as well as freeing two jailed members of the punk band Pussy Riot.

Russia's Duma lower house of parliament voted 446 in favour, to none against, for the amnesty, which commemorates 20 years since Russia ratified its current constitution.

It should also allow several anti-Vladimir Putin protesters, jailed after a May 2012 rally, to walk out of prison.

Greenpeace says that the legal proceedings against the 28 activists and two journalists are "almost certain to come to an end" and that the 26 non-Russians among them will be free to return home as soon as they get Russian exit visas.

Russia arrested 30 members of a Greenpeace ship in September, including an Australian and two permanent residents, for protesting against oil drilling in the Russian Arctic.

They were released last month, but remain under investigation on hooliganism charges.

Greenpeace lawyer Anton Beneslavsky said on Tuesday it was too early to say when the charges could be dropped, but that it "won't happen in the course of a day".

The amnesty's original draft only listed persons convicted of hooliganism as beneficiaries, but an amendment added on Wednesday extends that to defendants who have been charged.

Greenpeace says it's not yet clear when the group will be allowed home, or what will happen to its vessel the Arctic Sunrise, which remains impounded in Murmansk since the arrests.

Tasmanian activist Colin Russell and permanent Australian residents Alex Harris from Sydney and and Jon Beauchamp from Adelaide have expressed relief at the vote.

"I know Colin Russell is desperate to get back to Tassie and return to a normal life after this extraordinary ordeal which has been so taxing for him, his wife Chrissie and daughter Maddy," Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner Reece Turner said on Wednesday.

Another activist, Ana Paula Maciel from Brazil, says she's relieved, but not celebrating.

"I spent two months in jail for a crime I didn't commit and faced criminal charges that were nothing less than absurd, but now at last it seems like this saga could soon be over and it may not be long before we're back with our families," she said.

"Right now, my thoughts are with our Russian colleagues. If they accept this amnesty, they will have criminal records in the country where they live, and all for something they didn't do. All because we stood up for Arctic protection."

Arctic Sunrise captain Peter Wilcox, of the United States, said he should never have been charged.

"I might soon be going home to my family, but I should never have been charged and jailed in the first place.

"We sailed north to bear witness to a profound environmental threat but our ship was stormed by masked men wielding knives and guns.

"Now it's nearly over and we may soon be truly free, but there's no amnesty for the Arctic."

Irina Khrunova, the lawyer for imprisoned Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, said that she expects her clients to be released before the end of year, the Itar Tass news agency reported.

On Tuesday, Khrunova - as well as Tolokonnikova's husband, Pyotr Verzilov - had said that they could be freed as early as Thursday.

The women are serving two-year sentences for performing a political protest song against President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow church and are currently due to be released in March.

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Two stabbed in Sydney

TWO men are in hospital after being stabbed in what police believe are related incidents in Sydney's southwest.

Emergency services were called to Meredith Street in Bankstown at 9pm on Tuesday following reports of a stabbing.

A man, aged in his 20s, was taken to Liverpool Hospital with multiple stab wounds and in a serious condition.

At about the same time, an 18-year-old man arrived at Bankstown Hospital with a stab wound. He has since been transferred to Liverpool Hospital.

Police are investigating the incidents, and say they may be linked.

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China zookeeper killed by tiger

A KEEPER at Shanghai's zoo has been mauled to death by a rare South China tiger after entering its enclosure, officials and colleagues say.

In brief statements on their Twitter-like microblogs, the zoo and Municipal Landscaping Administration said investigators were looking into the cause of the attack.

The administration said the tiger was a 9-year-old male with no prior record of aggression against people.

It said the attack occurred at the zoo's breeding facility where safety procedures are in place.

State media reports identified the victim as a 56-year-old man surnamed Zhou.

They cited unidentified colleagues as saying the man entered the tiger enclosure to clean it and "did not come out again".

The highly endangered South China tiger is considered effectively extinct in the wild after decades of being hunted as a pest.

Only a few are kept in zoos.

Built on a former golf course, Shanghai's zoo is one of China's largest and most popular urban animal parks.

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Family reunions recommended in WA prisons

A prison inspector says male and female inmates of the same family should be able to mix in prison. Source: AAP

WESTERN Australia's prison inspector has recommended male and female inmates from the same family be allowed to visit each other in jail - despite serious reservations of guards.

In a report into young female prisoners in WA, Inspector of Custodial Services Neil Morgan revealed a "wish list" of teenaged girls being held at Banksia Hill young offender's prison in Perth's south.

As well as asking for a water fountain in the prison's outdoor area, many of the girls said they wanted the ban lifted on visiting male family members in the same jail.

Mr Morgan concluded it was a good idea.

"During the 2013 inspection no such interaction was occurring at all," Mr Morgan wrote.

"The female detainees said that they would like to be able to have visits with male relatives at Banksia Hill ... however no such visits were occurring or seemed even to be under management consideration.

"The apparent perception of some staff being that interaction between male and female detainees should be avoided at any cost."

Despite this, Mr Morgan recommended the Department of Corrective Services should introduce inter and intra-prison visits for detainees and their family members, a recommendation the report says has been supported by Banksia Hill.

Mr Morgan also recommended that some adult female prisoners be housed alongside younger girls at Banksia Hill, to make education and training courses more economical.

"This recommendation is not made lightly, for ... the Young Offenders Act, in line with the provisions of United Nations conventions, is premised on the separation of adults and children," Mr Morgan said.

"However, in the interests of the community, more needs to be done for incarcerated young women and girls."

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New Down Syndrome test "reduces risks"

A study has revealed that a new non-invasive test for Down Syndrome would increase detection rates. Source: AAP

A NEW, non-invasive test for Down Syndrome in unborn babies could significantly increase detection rates if it was available to all expectant mothers, according to a new study.

Scientists at Perth's Curtin University have found the new test could increase detection rates and significantly reduce the need for invasive diagnostic procedures, which can cause miscarriages.

The study reviewed 32,478 single baby pregnancies screened between January 2005 and December 2006 in WA.

It found the new non-invasive test would have reduced the number of invasive diagnostic procedures while procedure-related miscarriages would have been reduced in high-risk women by 88 per cent.

The results showed if all pregnant women identified as high-risk had adopted this non-invasive testing method, up to seven additional cases of the genetic disorder could have been confirmed.

It was estimated that implementing this new testing method would increase the public health system's cost of prenatal screening for Down syndrome by less than 10 per cent.

The test is currently available only in Australia's private health sector.

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Stott Despoja to visit Nauru

Ex-Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja will become Australia's ambassador for women and girls. Source: AAP

SHE was critical of offshore processing of asylum seekers but now Australia's new ambassador for women and girls, Natasha Stott Despoja, is not sure how she can help people in detention.

The former Democrats leader, who takes over the ambassadorship from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade diplomat Penny Williams, has been a vocal critic particularly of the detention of women and children seeking asylum.

She told the ABC on Monday she was not sure yet what she could do for people in detention as it was her first day in the job.

She is planning to visit the detention centre on Nauru.

"I am not sure what role I will have," she said.

"Having said that, I don't think the (foreign affairs) minister (Julie Bishop) would expect anything less than honest, upfront advice and views from me."

The former South Australian senator says she has had a lifelong commitment to gender equality.

She will remain based in Adelaide, but will promote greater opportunities for women and girls throughout the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

She said she was proud of the work Australia did in the region through its aid program and that Ms Bishop had made it clear she wanted gender equality and empowerment to be a strong priority.

The position was created by former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard.

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David Campbell to swing on NYE in Perth

Entertainer David Campbell will perform swing favourites at Crown Perth on New Year's Eve. Source: AAP

CROONER, cabaret star, television host, actor, musical theatre performer - David Campbell has it covered.

The entertainer will perform on New Year's Eve in Perth, singing classic swing hits including Mack the Knife and Can't Take My Eyes Off You.

The host of television program Mornings, Campbell has not done a swing show in more than a year.

"It's something that is close to my heart and I wanted to dip my toe back into it," he told AAP.

Campbell often performs for New Year's Eve but has not worked the event in Perth since 1999.

The singer plans to record an album next year and says he will try some of the songs on New Year's Eve.

"The album is not a new year's resolution, but it's a new year's intention," he said.

Campbell also said he was interested in touring with his father, Cold Chisel rocker Jimmy Barnes, and his sister Mahalia, who found fame through The Voice.

"I think Cold Chisel is going to push us out next year," he said.

"So maybe in 2015-16 ... if we don't get distracted."

Next year is shaping up to be a big one for Campbell, who is part of a group setting up a cabaret and musical theatre venue in Sydney.

Their first show will be performed in February and Campbell said he hoped later productions could tour.

He said he was pleased to see musicals achieving success in films, such as Les Miserables and Mamma Mia.

He said there were also many successful revivals on stage, such as Grease and the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

"It's a very, very healthy base, where it's all coming from at the moment, and I think it's only going to grow," he said.

* David Campbell will perform at Crown Perth on New Year's Eve. Tickets are still available.

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NSW woman dies in single vehicle crash

A 45-YEAR-OLD woman has been killed in Sydney's west when the car she was driving crashed at Hassall Grove.

Police say the woman was driving along Luxford Road about 12.50am (AEDT) on Sunday when her car hit the gutter, before crashing through the guard rail and hitting an embankment.

Investigations are continuing and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

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NAB's business satisfaction rating falls

AUSTRALIA'S biggest business lender National Australia Bank has fallen further behind its big four rivals in business customer satisfaction.

NAB had an average satisfaction rating of 6.9 out of ten in November, well behind Commonwealth Bank (7.5), Westpac (7.4) and ANZ (7.3).

According to the monthly DBM Consultants' Business Financial Services Monitor, NAB's satisfaction rating went backwards in November, while ANZ, which had lagged alongside it for most of the past two years, continued to pull ahead.

DBM director Maria Claridad said ANZ achieved its highest ever average score in November and was well above the 6.9 it scored in April this year.

"What ANZ has been able to achieve in the past six months is great for their business and it has closed the gap on the two major banks that were well ahead of it,' she said.

She said the challenge now was for ANZ to sustain or improve on the customer satisfaction level.

The BFSM, which is based on interviews with 20,000 businesses a year, also showed the Commonwealth was the most popular bank among large and micro businesses, while Westpac lead among small and medium sized companies.

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Extreme fire danger in WA prompts bans

FIRE alerts ranging from severe to extreme for much of Western Australia have prompted total fire bans in many areas, including parts of the Goldfields-Midlands region.

With temperatures set to soar again on Monday, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has also issued a ban for parts of the Midwest Gascoyne region.

The DFES warned residents in the Central Wheatbelt and inland parts of the Great Southern and Central West they would be facing extreme fire danger, while those in the Gascoyne, Eucla, Pilbara, coastal parts of the Great Southern and the Upper Great Southern are facing severe fire danger.

On Sunday an emergency warning was downgraded to an advice alert for a bushfire four kilometres east of Toodyay.

The DFES said the blaze was contained and under control.

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